Anybody who was a politician at one stage - when they were at the "I'd like to be a train driver" stage of their lives - must also have thought: "I'd like to make the world a better place if possible." So, I think that's why most politicians go into it. They don't want to take over the world and most go into it for good reasons and then, presumably, are beset by endless things stopping them from following their natural inclination to do the right thing.

Tom Hollander

Categorized in : Thinking World Politician

Nothing else is as fulfilling as playing a part in which you are able to have a significant say in the creative process all the way through. How many actors get to do that? It's extremely rare.

Tom Hollander

able actors creative

People behave differently to TV stars and film stars; it's to do with the scale of the medium. Film stars get hushed awe, TV stars get slapped on the back. Neither is good for you. Famous people don't hear the word 'no' enough.

Tom Hollander

tvs stars people

For me, faith is more about aspiration than complacency - the smug satisfaction that other people find distasteful.

Tom Hollander

complacency satisfaction people

Generally when I'm filming something, I have a sort of exaggerated, comical, sort of grotesque version of the same scene running parallel in my head. With this process, you get to let it out of the box a little bit.

Tom Hollander

comical scene running

I like to think of myself as versatile, and I certainly have the most varied career, so I'm very, very lucky in that.

Tom Hollander

lucky careers thinking

Obviously I'd love to have kids and all that. Luckily, as a man, there's not such an egg timer on it, but I'd like to be able to pick them up without Nurofen first.

Tom Hollander

eggs men kids

The danger with playing a part that defines you is that it swallows up everything else.

Tom Hollander

define-you danger

The improv technique does one of two things. It either makes you raise your game, or retreat into a corner and decide to find a new career. But you do feel like you want to match and develop things.

Tom Hollander

new-car like-you

I've always wanted to do a real comedy. I haven't done enough, and it seems silly not to do more, considering the fact that people tend to laugh at me.

Tom Hollander

real silly people

In the periods of my life when I've had least contact with the Church, I've always assumed a belief in God is a solid thing, but clearly it's a relationship; it has good days and bad days.

Tom Hollander

good-day bad-day church

When we get christened or married or die, we drift naturally in the direction of the church. And in moments of crisis, when our spiritual Tom-Tom is no longer telling us what to do, we find ourselves scrabbling at the vicarage door.

Tom Hollander

church spiritual doors

I prefer to be flippant about acting, just in case I'm rubbish.

Tom Hollander

flippant rubbish acting

I'm no Kenneth Branagh or Ben Stiller. I'm not that single-minded: 'I'm producing it, directing it, and starring in it' kind of person; that's not me.

Tom Hollander

kenneth kind persons

Stories about vicars are always being told because they're at the heart of our society. Vicars touch all parts of the community and see life in all its extremity.

Tom Hollander

community stories heart

You're always supposed to have sympathy for the person you're playing. You should be the one person who does.

Tom Hollander

My sister and I both benefited hugely from the great security that our parents had given us, and then we went off and squandered it all rushing around in showbiz.

Tom Hollander

rushing my-sister parent

Every now and then, I feel terribly uncomfortable with what I'm working on, and then I think maybe I am an artist. I'm not very articulate about it, but I do know that you have to follow your gut.

Tom Hollander

now-and-then artist thinking

Somehow I find it easier to inhabit characters if they are a little bit pathetic. I do seem to have an affinity with pathetic people.

Tom Hollander

littles character people

I'm not as self-destructive as Dylan Thomas, but I've certainly been around that behavior enough to have found it a release. The thing that I really enjoyed was being able to play misery.

Tom Hollander

able self play

I meet people who are famous, and it's made me realise that fame has huge lifestyle disadvantages. I'm nervous about that. I don't want to become a celebrity.

Tom Hollander

nervous want people